WOMEN AS CITIZENS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 205, 28 August 1918, Page 3

WOMEN AS CITIZENS.

Mrs. Kineton Parkc3, a distinguished? English visitor, was present at the meeting of the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women, on Monday, evening. The name of Mrs. Parkes is well known in connection with tha struggle in England for the suffrage. Before the war she organised the womea taxpayers in a movement to resist taxation without representation on the control of the public moneys. It was held that taxation and representation should go together, and for this means she organised the Women's Tax Resistance League, and was appointed secretary.. Even in this far corner of the echoes of the brave fight they made rang abroad. Such well known names as Laurence Housemann, Dr. Garrett Anderson and Airs. Cobham Sanderson were' on the commitece, besides other, •well-known persons in public life. At the outbreak of war the Women's Emergency Corps was started, indeed, within; two days of the opening of hostilities, an din the nrs-t two weeks 10,000 women placed their names on the roll for voluntary work. Mrs. Parkes was appointed financial secretary because of her outstanding knowledge of figures. It is a' romantic story this story of the women, of a great people arising in mass a.nl coming to the help of their nation, a nation that up till recently 'had denied. them all the rights of a citizen. Like a great army they came forward to be trained and take their places in the ranks of freedom, and at the present time there is no profession or industry in which women will not be found filling the place of men. The great tale of how this came about will be given by Mrs. Parkes from the public platform, under the auspices of the National Council of Women, some time next week, and it is a story that every person interested ia the Empire should be proud to hear; for it marks the renaissance of the English race. Within the first week of the war it became obvious that the overwhelming offers of personal service from women required to be registered, classified, sorted, and, if the labour market were not to be injuriously affected, controlled. During the first two weeks this organisation dealt with ten thousand eases of personal service. A large number of women were classified under the following heads: —Doctor*, dispensers, trained nurses, untrained nurses and women willing to be trained, interpreters, chauffeurs, cyclists, motor cyclists, messengers, cooks, wom°a willing to qualify for men's posts during the war so as to release men for enlisting, and to take the posts of gardeners, trsm ami bus conductors, lift women, caretakers, ticket collectors, omnibus and taxi drivers, and many volunteering for other positions. When the volunteers came forward, they were a-ked: " Will you train?" If they replied that they did not want to train, but wanted -to rush in at once, they were quietly put aside for women who weie prepared to thoroughly master their work. The success of the women who have trained thoroughly in eflicieucy is so marked that they are now drawing large salaries, aud the fathers of daughters in England are spending us much money on their professional education and as much care as they formerly did on that of their son.'. Questioned on the suhject of women police. Mrs. I'arkes suit! that although they are employed as vet in small numbers in England, it is impossible to overrate tin- excellence of the work that- is' being done. Mayors of cities and pnblic bodies are testifying throughout the length and breadth of the land to tho efficiency of these women. The great idea in their dealing with crime is toprevent convictions. and especially amongst first offenders, and in this they have been very suiTcssful. Mrs. Parko expressed tlie'opinion that as far as she had had tbe chance to study the question in New Zealand, it would seem to be advisable to accept the Women Patrols under the Minister of Health until Parliament sits again, when the strongest efforts should be made immediately for the. appointment of women pone* throughout the Dorumiun.